One of the highly-fancied contenders for the 2023 Melbourne Cup, Francesco Guardi, will no longer participate in the Spring Carnival.
The decision was officially confirmed by Racing Victoria on Friday, following discussions within the Chris Waller stable.
Francesco Guardi’s campaign this season had been marked by a series of unimpressive performances, culminating in a disappointing 17th-place finish in last Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Cup, where he never factored into the race.
Expectations had been high for the imported galloper, particularly after his remarkable victory in the G2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) just a year ago. However, his recent form did not align with the lofty predictions.
With Francesco Guardi out of the picture, the spotlight now turns to fellow import Soulcombe, priced at $9.00 with online bookmakers, as the main hope from the stable for the upcoming November 7 Melbourne Cup.